AI Return To Base

[PatrickAWlson]

From the manual:

AI Return to Base Decision

Make an AI plane return to the nearest friendly airfield object under the following

conditions:

• The plane is critically damaged (50% damage or more)

In this case, the plane generates an OnPlaneCriticalDamage event message.

• The plane runs out of ammunition.

In this case, the plane generates an OnPlaneBingoMainMG event message for the

main (pilot-controlled) guns and an OnPlaneBingoTurrets event message for the

turret guns.

• The plane has only enough fuel to return to the nearest friendly airfield object.

In this case, the plane generates an OnPlaneBingoFuel event message.

Note:

• Place the airfield object at the point on the runway where you want the plane to

stop after landing and orient the airfield object in the landing direction. If you

have other airfield objects on ramps though, the plane could head toward those

instead.

• If you select this option, check the location of any airfield objects that you create

to allow players to spawn in the air. You may want to place those airfield objects

at locations over runways or open fields. If an AI plane is near one of your air

spawn airfield objects, it lands on the ground under that object.

• This option works with an object in a formation, but the reactions of the other

formations members is unpredictable. Sometimes one or more members follow

the plane that is returning to base and sometimes none of them do.

 

As I read this the only thing I need is to

1. Set RTB decision = 1

2. Set the damage threshold.  

3. Have a friendly fake airfield object.

 

If these conditions exist an AI plane will RTB to the nearest friendly fake airfield if damaged, out of ammo, or out of fuel.

 

Is this correct?  The docs state that certain event messages are issued, but it looks like the RTB action should happen without rigging an "on event" sequence to force the plane to return to base.

 

So why do I ask?  I am using the default RTB of 50 and there are an awful lot of smoking planes still flying around.  I am trying to figure out what is wrong.  Is 50 too high or is there something basic about RTB that I do not understand.

[=SqSq=switch201]

Pat I have never used it, but you might be able to grab damage values from the game using this 3rd party app: 

https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/30460-tacview-understand-what-happened-during-your-last-flight/

 

simply as a means to test out how much each plane has, so you can make sure it is or is not above the 50% threshold. I know on the multiplayer servers they are able to pull the damage data and display it in a sortie log, so I know there must be a way to get a given planes damage percentage.

[Sketch]

If I remember correctly, Coconut suggested changing the threshold of planes to 25%, and tanks to 75%. I could be wrong though.

[JimTM]

From the manual:

AI Return to Base Decision

...

 

As I read this the only thing I need is to

1. Set RTB decision = 1

2. Set the damage threshold.  

          The "Damage: (Threshold)" field has nothing to do with the "AI Return to Base Decision" field. The RTB decision due to damage is only based on whether the plane is critically damaged, which is always due to 50% damage or more.

          The 

"Damage: (Threshold)" and "Damage Report" fields control when an "OnDamaged" event message is produced.

          I'll update the manual to make the first point clearer.

3. Have a friendly fake airfield object.

 

If these conditions exist an AI plane will RTB to the nearest friendly fake airfield if damaged, out of ammo, or out of fuel.

 

Is this correct?  The docs state that certain event messages are issued, but it looks like the RTB action should happen without rigging an "on event" sequence to force the plane to return to base.

        Yes, the RTB happens if the conditions are met. The event messages (OnPlaneCriticalDamage, OnPlaneBingoMainMG, or OnPlaneBingoFuel) are symptoms of the condition that causes the RTB decision. You can use the event messages however you like, but you don't have to..

So why do I ask?  I am using the default RTB of 50 and there are an awful lot of smoking planes still flying around.  I am trying to figure out what is wrong.  Is 50 too high or is there something basic about RTB that I do not understand.

        Set an OnPlaneCrticalDamage event to trigger a subtitle translator that announces the critical damage and see what happens.

Edited December 21, 2017 by JimTM

[PatrickAWlson]

Thanks for the feedback.  The fact that damage threshold is not related to RTB is interesting.

[unreasonable]

Thanks for the feedback.  The fact that damage threshold is not related to RTB is interesting.

 

It is also a pity. I was wondering about exactly the same thing while making some Flak test missions: I am fairly sure that the vast majority of pilots who had, for instance, taken a shot that was causing their radiator to leak, would get out of the fight (in my case strafing runs on an airfield) as quickly as possible, irrespective of the overall "damage percentage".  (I always do as a player ). Far too many  AI flying around making repeat attacks while streaming multiple leaks.  I would prefer a much lower threshold - perhaps with a random element.

 

That really should not be too hard to code for the team? Perhaps we can make a suggestion during the current improvement process?

[Gambit21]

Making an individual aircraft RTB "On Damaged" is quite easy - simply need one or more waypoints set linked to "command land" at a base of your choosing, object linked to the aircraft of course. Link the damage report to this set of waypoints.

 

You can't do this with muti-aircraft flights, and if you do it with a multiple aircraft flight, (using the leader for the report) the entire flight will follow him home.

 

Even "OnCriticalDamage" can generate more than one report with some entities just FYI.

 

Unreasonable, there are far easier things/improvements/trigger additions/report adittions that I've asked for that they just don't have time to implement. For instance "On Radio for Air Cover" just needs an added report and associated key stroke. With this I could enable the player to radio and have AI show up to support if the player needs it. Totally low hanging fruit, I even sent them a sample mission with this functionalitity operating, using a dropped bomb/keystroke to trigger the AI flight to change course and fly to the players sector.

Works like a charm - just need a simple added report. Simple simple simple in relative terms - could still take a month for all I know.

No time for it.

 

What you propose is more complex by far.

Not saying they'll never do it - for all we know it's already in the plan.

[PatrickAWlson]

It is also a pity. I was wondering about exactly the same thing while making some Flak test missions: I am fairly sure that the vast majority of pilots who had, for instance, taken a shot that was causing their radiator to leak, would get out of the fight (in my case strafing runs on an airfield) as quickly as possible, irrespective of the overall "damage percentage".  (I always do as a player ). Far too many  AI flying around making repeat attacks while streaming multiple leaks.  I would prefer a much lower threshold - perhaps with a random element.

 

That really should not be too hard to code for the team? Perhaps we can make a suggestion during the current improvement process?

+1